Music has an amazing, Gremlin-like ability to spawn subgenres. Remember when UK garage was the next hot sound from over the pond? It never quite caught on here -- we Yanks were too busy playing with our 505s to pay much attention -- but the genre is currently in the midst of its sellout burnout. From its ashes has sprung Grime, a title that's rather controversial (critics complain that it stereotypes its often poor and minority purveyors) and sort of more

CARTOON CAPERS

Two big vocal-grime albums hitting the streets this month, both featuring humorous cartoon sleeve designs, plenty of attitude and showcasing the cream of North and South talent.

First up, straight outta Manchester, it's the much anticipated Virus Syndicate long-player "The Work Related Illness". The fact that all production is handled by Mark One will be your guarantee of musical quality here, and Mark totally delivers with a brutal series of more

The debut album from the Virus Syndicate via forward thinking label Planet Mu. For all those who are familiar with Mark One’s mechanical sound you will not be disappointed. Sci Fi stridden beats are a plenty with that trade mark “wom wom” bass injection tearing through the album. Hip hop crossovers such as Major List Mc’s (ft. Fallacy) and Clockwork successfully deliver a more commercial edge to grime, all tinted with a Manchester rawness. more